Big eyes, bigger swords

Do you like swords so large they could cut a car in half? Have you ever wanted to take control of an androgynous man wielding a malleable scarf in order to battle a sword brought to life and given human form? Do you wish senpai would finally notice you? Then it’s time to throw down with BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma, the newest version of the over-the-top heavy metal fighting franchise from Arc System Works. For long-time devotees, the additions to the roster of characters, the changes to existing favorites, and some added gameplay mechanics breathe new life into the series. However, there’s a lot to love here for players new to BlazBlue, or one-on-one fighting games in general.

Beautiful high-definition sprites, and vibrant, hand-drawn battle backgrounds lend a striking presence that makes Chrono Phantasma stand out among the crowd of contemporary 3D fighters on 2D fields. Each combatant features hundreds of unique frames of dynamic animation, bringing graphical impact to a gallery chock-full of unique characters.

BlazBlue’s combat system encourages you to play as offensively as possible with a plethora of aggressive tools, so the action rarely slows. Characters can dash, air dash, high jump, double jump, jump cancel, and defensive roll, all in the name of getting close and dishing out punishment. Once you start to get a feel for the controls and BlazBlue’s mechanics, you find yourself thrust into frantic fights which push you to constantly keep up the pressure while simultaneously staving off your opponent’s blistering assault - an exhilarating combination.

Though its many options can look intimidating, Chrono Phantasma does an outstanding job of initiating players of all skill levels into the world of BlazBlue via plentiful tutorial modes (first introduced in BlazBlue: Continuum Shift). They run from the basics to unique mechanics, including how to chain attacks into graphically stunning combos, and how to approach advanced concepts like creating mix-ups or applying throw pressure. But where Chrono Phantasma really goes above and beyond is in teaching character-specific tactics. Its well-done strategy tutorials detail each character’s individual strengths, as well as the fundamentals of their high-level gameplay.

Its cast of insanely imaginative characters has always been one of BlazBlue’s biggest strengths, and Chrono Phantasma continues the tradition. Seven entirely new combatants enter the fray, such as Azrael, a tricky brawler who can confuse his opponents by dashing around them to inflict obscene amounts of damage, and Izayoi, a versatile sword-wielder who gains more powerful abilities as she successfully lands more attacks. The returning characters have equally creative mechanics, such as Relius’s use of a man-sized puppet to attack from various angles, or Valkenhayn’s power to transform himself into a blindingly-fast wolf. While the roster might not match Tekken Tag Tournament 2 or Street Fighter X Tekken in size, each character has a look, and play style that’s uniquely their own. This plentiful variety gives players of every skill level something to learn and master.

Kagura and Azrael throwing down.

In addition to a handful of new fighters, Chrono Phantasma replaces the old burst mechanic with Overdrive, which has the capacity to dramatically turn the tide of a match. When activated, it increases your fighter’s damage, adding some much-needed punch to their…punches. It also affects each character’s base abilities in unique ways, such as giving Bullet the maximum rank of her “Heat Up” ability, adding new properties to her special attacks while granting her a sizeable speed boost.These character-specific applications for Overdrive take it beyond a simple comeback mechanic, layering an intriguing extra element of strategy onto matches.

Chrono Phantasma’s story mode takes a different, slightly disappointing approach from its predecessors. Individual storylines are out, replaced by three main plots which converge into a true ending. This creates a little less variety than in earlier versions of BlazBlue, though that loss is somewhat mitigated through the variety and sheer volume of the other single-player modes. For example, BlazBlue’s addictive take on the staple survival mode, called Abyss Mode, allows you to delve into dungeons, and modify characters’ base attributes in order to conquer increasingly difficult challenges.

When you finish plundering the depths of Chrono Phantasma’s single-player modes, you can take your hard-earned skills online. BlazBlue has traditionally featured well-implemented netcode throughout its life, and Chrono Phantasma is no different. The quality of the matchmaking services more than makes up for the lack of additional multiplayer novelty modes, as bouts between players with decent connections are decided with very little in the way of noticeable lag. Many of the opponents I faced were located in Japan, and while there were some noticeable latency problems in our connection relative to the few Americans I fought, I was able to fight somewhat responsively.

Sword slingin'.

The Verdict

While BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma is, ultimately, a new version of the same game that we’ve had the last four years, there’s quite a bit here to sink your teeth into whether you’re a grizzled veteran, or a curious outsider checking out BlazBlue for the first time. As ever, its beautiful art and rocking heavy metal soundtrack serve as great complements to the fun, fast-paced fights. The new arrivals to its existing roster of wholly unique playable fighters, along with its plentiful single-player modes and exceptional online play, makes for a whole lot to explore and enjoy. While BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma is, ultimately, a new version of the same game that we’ve had the last four years, there’s quite a bit here to sink your teeth into whether you’re a grizzled veteran, or a curious outsider checking out BlazBlue for the first time. As ever, its beautiful art and rocking heavy metal soundtrack serve as great complements to the fun, fast-paced fights. The new arrivals to its existing roster of wholly unique playable fighters, along with its plentiful single-player modes and exceptional online play, makes for a whole lot to explore and enjoy. While BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma is, ultimately, a new version of the same game that we’ve had the last four years, there’s quite a bit here to sink your teeth into whether you’re a grizzled veteran, or a curious outsider checking out BlazBlue for the first time. As ever, its beautiful art and rocking heavy metal soundtrack serve as great complements to the fun, fast-paced fights. The new arrivals to its existing roster of wholly unique playable fighters, along with its plentiful single-player modes and exceptional online play, makes for a whole lot to explore and enjoy. While BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma is, ultimately, a new version of the same game that we’ve had the last four years, there’s quite a bit here to sink your teeth into whether you’re a grizzled veteran, or a curious outsider checking out BlazBlue for the first time. As ever, its beautiful art and rocking heavy metal